So wiped out from the last few days… Tea ceremony, hospital checkpoints, another tea ceremony, garden visits, photo studio, preschool church, naked man shrine, ancient optician… wrangling humans for some semi-festive vibes, ramen was good / almost noon, still in bed, must eat.
Anyhow, usual sundry ad-hoc memos & several innuendos follow:
Another timestamp to remember seitai appointment / this time taken afterwards at a quirky gallery café roaster where I got Postcards spread out on the counter // place has ceramics, cameras, rocks, grinders, a printing press, guitar etc scattered about. I want to do a show here.
As always, questions about my outfit are accepted within reason // @theunabonger will recall my sharp camel jacket as my “standby when have to go legislative lobbying or photo opportunities with Washington state governor” times
Evidence of the above with coordinates for your investigation
I guess gotta get in my head & bones that the holiday season cycle is just different here… Everything builds up to New Year – and finally today, kiddo’s last day at school, (most) cards in the mail, things starting to shut down – is when it all happens // still bewildering.
So, I’m going to eat this non-squished gorgeous cake to help me understand the cycles.
Meanwhile, back at Tsuchida Cottage:
Haul from milk! Records (who are closing up shop) includes:
2x12" + 1x7" + stickers from Sleater-Kinney
2 x7" from queen @courtneymelba
2x12" milk records compilations
1x12" from St Vincent (transparent)
1 Milk compilation cassette
1x10 year anniversary patch
1 personal note and sticker
Related:
Wild Boar Persist: This is the wreckage from the adorable barbecue grill I built last summer from salvaged bricks and roof tiles.
The wild boar came and attacked it – I mean, completely destroyed it. They are tough!
Lesson: everything is temporary if you make it that way
{Investigate the visit from the wild boar trapper for more background and mitigation approaches we are approaching, unsuccessfully}
Today, by Post:
From a lovely lady & her daughter in Nagano or thereabouts:
And mother-in-law did a “sniper mission” back-and-forth to Saga Prefecture (related to transport logistics of a small relative) and brought back this very special sushi made in Nagasaki prefecture
Still…
Gosh, I know it’s the time of year to be all happy and chill but I’m feeling super stressed, confused, don’t quite know how to mop up some projects, or how to even start and have put myself in a bit of a sticky wicket which is “good news” but I complicated due to #brainfog #blerg
And when get stressed, I either/or:
- hide out in bed and watch hockey games
- fill up carts from record stores
- 3 hour bath
send irrelevant social messages (with unrelated photo attached)
But I’ve got some household tasks that need tended to because it’s the frantic “build up/tidy up” for New Years in Japan and it’s important to look busy (really, my wife is working super hard outdoors so I’m trying to keep the house up)
So making myself a list:
* Get out of bed, change into multipurpose warm loungewear
* Put on music
* Ingest food, fluids and medications
* Rock the dishes, fold the laundry
* Bring in firewood
* Then address and stamp “batch x” of New Year’s cards (the fun part!)
{Just keep breathing}
Also:
* Organize all the packets of medication which arrived yesterday
* Order some new house shoes/slippers
Update:
Because I want you to be proud of me… I organized all my medications // and this is what all looks like in the cute little boxes on the shelf I took over from wifu’s kimono cupboard
Bonus:
Ichiro and I on an outing the other day towards the neighborhood to the shrine (he wanted to climb the stairs, I did not :-)) and ancestor’s grave where we washed the stones, changed flowers, lit incense and said prayers. #TeachTheChildren
When you can’t choose which snapshot is the cutest (him, not me… Well maybe me a little bit :-)) #io
What makes it extra fun is we were visiting his great grandparents grave sites. We clean the stones, light incense, say prayers, change the flowers and romp around his ancestral history.